Passing out at Porte Reale--the gateway at the top of the principal street of Valetta--and crossing the draw-bridge, the stupendous defences of the city become apparent--deep ditches--every approach enfiladed, or covered by bastions surmounted with bristling cannon. From this portion of the works the road opens on the front of the public garden;[3] a narrow promenade, of considerable extent, confined between stone walls, on the esplanade between Valetta and the extensive suburb of Floriana, around which are thrown the outer defences of the city, extended like the former, from the great harbour on the east to the quarantine harbour on the west. Holding on the main road, to the left of the garden gate, we pass through Floriana, the gate of St. Anna (the inner gate of this line of defence), and by Porte des Bombes, reach the glacis of the works, and here commences the country of the island of Malta.
[Footnote 3: During the governorship of Sir Alex. Ball, public gardens for the accommodation or pleasure of the inhabitants of the various "casals" were formed, but fell into disuse, and remain a trifling memorial of a desire to inculcate good and friendly feelings in all classes, and has been responded to by these places being totally neglected for public use.]